


You cannot escape your past (especially at punk concerts)

by AnimeBasketballer



Category: Persona 5
Genre: (in the past), Concerts, He Got Better, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, Mentions of Shido - Freeform, Texting, a fair few niche and extremely self indulgent akechi headcanons, all the other phantom thieves are mentioned but this is mostly akechi and joker, futago siblings (implied), its not a big part but its there because it makes me happy : ), nothing major!! but Goro is a sad guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27154201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeBasketballer/pseuds/AnimeBasketballer
Summary: The guy he collided with starts apologising profusely, clearly rattled. He’s pretty meek looking; short with cropped black hair and plain-ish clothing. Ordinarily in this situation he would just mutter a snide remark and tell him it’s fine before walking off, and he’s about to do just that. But fate has never been kind to Goro Akechi, and that has never been more apparent than in this moment when he glances off to the side of his assailant and accidentally locks eyes with Ren Amamiya of all fucking people.orTwo years after dying then coming back to life, then dying again and apparently coming back to life a second time, Goro Akechi attends his first concert.As with most things in Goro’s life, it doesn’t quite go to plan.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 13
Kudos: 134





	You cannot escape your past (especially at punk concerts)

**Author's Note:**

> I actually meant to write a fic about Goro and Ren’s relationship in a new game+ after Ren took Maruki’s deal. Instead I wrote 10k of self indulgent bullshit because I love Akechi and wanted him to go and see me and my friend’s emo band ocs in concert. 
> 
> I’m sorry this isn’t great, I haven’t written anything that wasn’t an essay since I was 16 lol. But I wrote it now, so I might as well post it. Hopefully you enjoy if you do read!! Maybe next time I’ll write the fic I actually meant to lmao
> 
> my tumblr is @lineheck if you want to watch me have goro brainrot in real time :0

Goro wasn’t usually the type to spend money on frivolities such as concert tickets. He had obviously never been able to go to such events when he was younger; even if he had wanted to. His mother sometimes hadn’t even enough money to keep the both of them fed, and the adults at the various group homes he had stayed in after she died were hardly going to chaperone him to anything like that were they? Then, as the detective prince, he had an image to uphold and going to metal concerts of all things certainly was not a part of that image. Not that he would have had the time for such activities anyway, what with all the murder he was committing alongside his day job, and not to mention his third year of high school. Where on Earth was he going to find the free time?

…Probably on one of the days he spent parading around Kichijoji with Amamiya. Or playing chess at Leblanc with Amamiya. Or going to the aquarium with Amamiya.

So, he spent a lot of free time he didn’t really have with Amamiya, whatever, that’s hardly the point.

Even if he hadn’t wasted all his spare time playing pretend rivals with _Joker_ he still wouldn’t have used it this way. He would probably have said some pretentious shit about it being beneath him, or rambled about Jazz music for half an hour in order to dissuade people from thinking he might have any interests unbecoming of a detective prince. In fact he knows he would have done that because he _did_ do that, to Futaba fucking Sakura no less after she brought up the very band he is here to see at a Phantom Thieves meeting back when they were infiltrating Niijima’s palace. She had asked if he liked them, and said it made sense that he would because he _“seemed like he would be a secret edgelord”,_ and he had replied with the aforementioned jazz rant, because even if he was actually even more of a secret edgelord than she could have imagined (at the time; she probably got the picture by Maruki’s palace. Not to mention his tantrum in the engine room of Shido’s. Eugh.) he wasn’t going to just admit that was he? And for her information his love for this band in particular has nothing to do with how edgy he may or may not be. He just happens to enjoy their music, that’s all.

To be fair to her, she listened to him talk about jazz for far longer than she needed to before telling him she " _didn’t feel like talking to him anymore"_ and going off to bother Kitagawa. Especially considering, as he later found out, she knew he was talking out of his ass because she had hacked his phone and probably seen all his embarrassing Spotify playlists. None of which, were particularly jazz themed. Jazz is fine, he does like it in some ways and not a day goes by where he doesn’t miss the homely atmosphere of Jazz Jin, but like most aspects of himself his interest was mostly for the sake of his image. He doesn’t have to give a shit about that anymore though, so jazz has become more of a passing interest than a key aspect of his personality.

In hindsight, it was actually quite kind of Sakura to never bring it up again to make fun of him. She certainly hadn’t shown any mercy when she found out he watched Featherman. She had in fact ripped the shit out of him despite the fact she herself was wearing a Featherman shirt _and_ a Featherman jacket at the time. Maybe she was just waiting for the perfect time to bring it up and didn’t get the chance because he ’died’ before she could. Whatever, two years of therapy and a whole lot of ’me-time’ have made him a slightly kinder man than he was when they knew each other, so he supposes he can give her the benefit of the doubt.

Speaking of therapy, it was actually his therapist’s idea that he was here in Tokyo for the first time since the beginning of his self-imposed exile. Or well, it was more like she had advised him to be more open about his interests, because _“you don’t have to be ashamed of liking things Akechi-kun, your interests should make you happy not anxious,”_ and then a week later he had seen that tickets to see ’Purgatory Party’ were going on sale the next morning and thought _fuck it._ So it was technically his idea to be here, but in the event that this whole thing is a horrible experience that he never wants to repeat then he is still going to blame her for putting the damn idea in his head. Which is looking fairly likely with how things are going so far; he has barely made it inside the venue and yet he is already starting to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people in the room. It isn’t even a particularly big venue, but it seems he had greatly underestimated how many people could fit in one concert hall. He has never liked crowds, but as a minor celebrity he had had to get used to them. Now, as a complete nobody, he has a lot less of the willpower required to push back the anxiety that comes from being surrounded by people.

It doesn’t help that a part of him is still terrified of being recognised, and that fear has ramped up to extremes now that he is back in Tokyo. He knows it isn’t a rational fear, his ’death’ in the metaverse essentially erased him from the public’s cognition from what he gathers. A few people still mention his name here and there, wondering where he vanished to so suddenly, but for the most part they just get replies asking who the hell they are talking about. And if any of Shido’s goons remembered him enough to want him dead, they probably would have found him by now. It isn’t like he cared enough about staying alive to be especially careful about hiding his identity; leaving Tokyo and staying at the therapy centre his mother used to frequent for a month was about the extent of his hiding. If anyone was bothered enough to look for him, then he would not be here right now.

Anyway, even without the metaverse bullshit he doesn’t even look like what anyone who remembered him would expect ’Goro Akechi’ to look like. Swapping his contact lenses for rounded, wire-framed glasses was one of the first things he changed; a poor attempt to see something other than the detective prince when he looked in the mirror. Then, when he still had the urge to smash his reflection a week later, he impulsively bleached and dyed his hair bright red in one of the centre’s bathrooms. He ended up liking it (even if he panicked the first time he did it, seeing a bathtub filled with red and only seeing blood _bood blood)_ and kept it up even after his hair grew out past his shoulders and he no longer saw the hollow version of himself from Shido’s palace every time he looked in the mirror. These small changes combined with the faded ’Iron Maiden’ hoodie and worn black jeans he chose to wear today give him more of a loner image than that of the high school detective slash serial killer he used to be.

It's a shame that all the rationalisation in the world isn’t enough to fully quell his paranoia.

Oh well, he’s here now. He may as well attempt to have some fun.

He eyes the bar and frowns, then looks over to the slightly less crowded (but still fairly crowded) merchandise table, and decides that he might as well get himself a souvenir from this experience. Maybe an overpriced t-shirt is exactly what he needs right now. He wanders over, joining the mess of sweaty fans, and moves away about ten minutes later a t-shirt and a wristband richer, and a good four-thousand yen poorer. He can’t deny that getting himself a shirt has lifted his spirits a little though. He picked out a minimalistic black one with the band name on the front, and the tour dates on the back, but even as simple as it is, buying something just because he wants it and not because it furthered his celebrity persona never fails to fill him with a hint of giddiness.

Since his wallet is going to hate him anyway he heads over to the bar next, deciding he might as well get himself a drink while he waits for the main act. The support has come on stage already: they’re some average punk group, not bad but nothing Goro particularly cares about. They’re a little overly loud and messy, but it isn’t like he can’t see the appeal they might have; the members look like they can’t be older than teens and their lyrics are filled with such righteous rage that it almost fills him with nostalgia for a group of people he has no right to miss. They’re called ‘Silent Scream’ he thinks, or something equally obnoxious. He’d make a joke about them not being very silent but there’s no-one here to tell it to. And anyway, he’s older now, and he understands that jokes like that are actually incredibly unfunny.

...His Santa Clause comment still haunts him to this day if he’s completely honest.

It takes a minute for him to get the bartender’s attention, but after some waiting and a few _fucking rude_ people pushing past him he finally gets himself a drink. He limits himself to just a cider, for now at least. It isn’t like he’s a lightweight, he’s just here to have fun, not get drunk. Shido never would have allowed Goro to attend his social events without making him drink until he felt ill, so unless he’s looking to get smashed, he prefers to take it easy now that he has the option. Shido got some sick satisfaction out of seeing him make a fool of himself probably. Maybe he enjoyed knowing that Goro would have to navigate an interview, or even sometimes carry out a hit, with a killer hangover the next day. That bald fuck must have laughed up a storm about it. Whatever, he’s in jail and Goro is alive and well-ish, so whatever power play the bastard thought he was pulling by forcing a fifteen-year-old to drink until he was sick is irrelevant now that Goro knows that he won in the end. And hey, he’s probably less fucked up than he could be all things considered, so he’ll count that as a win too.

His plan is to stay towards the back of the crowd for the concert; he has no interest in getting caught up in a mosh pit accidentally. He would prefer to be pushed around as little as possible, thank you very much. Not that he’s really going to be able to avoid it no matter how far back he stands, not without leaving the fucking building anyway.

God this really isn’t his scene at all. Why did he think this was a good idea?

The support act yells a thank you at the audience, as well as something about their new EP being available now. He’d probably at least give it a cursory listen later if he could actually make out what it was called over the chatter of the crowd, but he can’t and he doesn’t care enough to bother googling it. They leave the stage shortly after; the lights coming back on while the stage hands set up for the main act. He figures this is as good a time as any to find somewhere to stand for the rest of the night, so he makes his way away from the bar, towards the back of the room. ...Or he would have done that had someone not directly collided into him immediately, just narrowly avoiding spilling his drink all down his front.

The guy starts apologising profusely, clearly rattled. He’s pretty meek looking; short with cropped black hair and plain-ish clothing. Ordinarily in this situation he would just mutter a snide remark and tell him it’s fine before walking off, and he’s about to do just that. But fate has never been kind to Goro Akechi, and that has never been more apparent than in this moment when he glances off to the side of his assailant and accidentally locks eyes with _Ren Amamiya_ of all fucking people.

He’s barely changed since he saw him last; his hair is neatened up so it looks more like an actual haircut than a mop, and he apparently had his lip pierced at some point in the last two years. Other than that, he looks basically the same as he did last time they saw each other: same fashion sense, same stoic expression, same _glasses_ weirdly- he was sure they were fake. It almost feels as if he’d stepped right back into the past. Well except for the fact Amamiya’s fucking taller than him now. He always has to one up him at every possible opportunity doesn’t he?

Meek guy is still apologising but Goro has all but forgotten about him entirely, in favour of staring at his old rival like a deer in the headlights. Amamiya gives him a once over, his eyebrows raised but his overall expression betraying nothing about what he’s thinking right now. Maybe if he’s lucky he doesn’t even recognise him and is just wondering why this freak is staring at him. Then both he and Goro can go back to their regular lives without having to think about the emotional baggage that comes with their teenage rivalry ever again.

“Long time no see Goro.”

...Well so much for that. There’s a hint of a smirk on Amamiya’s face as he speaks. Meek guy abruptly stops apologising and looks quickly back and forth between the two of them, his eyes wide.

“You two know each other-? Wait- No way, Goro as in Goro A-“

“Yes, Goro as in Goro Akechi-”

Goro cuts him off in a hushed voice; not wanting to draw attention to himself. Even if he isn't famous anymore, he still would prefer not to have his name thrown around, just in case they happen to be within earshot of one of the rare people that do remember his existence. This guy apparently does, so it isn't out of the question. But he's one of Amamiya's friends, so he guesses it makes sense for him to remember. Sort of anyway. “-And yes, while it is a pleasant surprise to see you here Amamiya-kun, I’m afraid I must be going-“

He turns to make his escape, aiming to forget this interaction happened as soon as possible, but as he turns around Amamiya grabs his wrist almost lightning quick. He immediately tenses up, but sees Amamiya furrow his eyebrows and look down at the hand that had grabbed him with a conflicted expression on his face, and took some comfort in knowing Amamiya is just as confused about why he did that as Goro is. Meek guy is staring right at him, looking lost for words. It’s pretty rude in his opinion; he’s definitely never met this guy before and he is not making a good first impression by staring at him like he’s a museum exhibit.

...Not that he isn’t doing the exact same thing to Amamiya. But that’s different, it’s Amamiya, he’s worthy of being an exhibit to be studied. Goro could go through a full museum dedicated to Ren Amamiya and take in every piece of information like it were a holy scripture and he still would be no closer to understanding him. 

“Sorry I uh-“ Amamiya lets go of his wrist and scratches the back of his head sheepishly, “Don’t run off. We should catch up?”

Goro narrows his eyes at him.

“You want to...catch up.” Amamiya nods, at which Goro quirks his lip upward mockingly. “That’s all? Come to think of it, you don’t seem particularly surprised to see me alive.”

Amamiya shrugs; there’s a glint of something in his eye but Goro can’t figure out what.

“Come on Goro, I didn’t think so little of you to think you would die.”

Goro chooses not to acknowledge that he just had his own words from two years ago parroted back at him, instead just opting to roll his eyes and retort back.

“Ah, so you have some sense after all. It’s a shame that you ruined it already by asking to ‘catch up’ with your murderer.”

“Oh please, you’re giving yourself way too much credit, it wasn’t even the real me you shot.”

“We both know that is not the point, Amamiya-kun. Please do not tell me you are that foolish after all.”

“You can drop that you know. We saved the world together, I think we might be way past first name basis-“

“GUYS!”

Meek guy, who has been looking between the two of them with growing confusion up until this point, finally explodes.

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on? I thought he-“ he points directly at Goro, “-hated the Ph- hated you guys! And you told me he died! Now he’s alive and- are you two friends?!”

“-I wouldn’t call us friends exactly.” Goro corrects, at the exact same time that Amamiya says: “Oh yeah, we’re pretty close.” Goro shoots him a harsh glare, but Amamiya just shrugs again. Meek guy somehow looks more confused. His eyes are furrowed so much that Goro thinks he might give himself brain damage if he tries to think any harder.

“That didn’t help at all guys- And what do you mean you saved the world together? Wasn’t he against you guys?”

He looks a little like his entire world had been turned upside-down. Amamiya pats him on the shoulder softly.

“Don’t worry about it Yuuki. We’re cool now, promise, he just likes to be difficult.”

Oh, so that’s who he is, Yuuki Mishima the Phan-site admin. Amamiya had mentioned him a few times in the brief time they were working together during Maruki’s Palace. He’d say it’s nice to put a face to a name, but that would require him to give a shit about other people and he hasn’t quite mastered that social skill just yet. Goro is about to argue that he does not in fact like to be difficult, he likes to be _sensible_ which is entirely different (and also untrue, but a man is allowed a few lies to make himself feel better). Unfortunately, before he can even get a word out, he is interrupted by a new voice joining the conversation.

“Yo, RenRen there you are! What’s got Mishima all worked up?”

Wonderful, Sakamoto is here too. How many ex-Phantom Thieves is he going to have to interact with before the night ends? Sakamoto looks at him and raises and raises an eyebrow, before grinning. Dumb and friendly as always. Some people never change. He’s carrying three plastic cups full of soda, so Goro must have just missed him at the bar. Looks like someone crashed into him as well because one of the cups is a little less full than the other two, and soda is dripping onto the floor from his hand.

“Who’s your friend?”

Amamiya takes one of the cups from Ryuji, and turns his head slightly to give him a nod of thanks. He doesn’t take his eyes off Goro, probably worried if he did Goro would run off. Which is a fair assumption. He doesn’t really know why he hasn’t done so yet.

“Oh, it’s just Akechi.”

Ryuji pulls a disgusted face, which naturally, must be directed at Goro’s existence. He can’t possibly fault him for that, all of Amamiya’s merry band of thieves have the right to hate him for what he did, and absolutely should on all accounts. However, to his surprise, Sakamoto’s glare is directed at Amamiya, not him. Amamiya does not appear phased by this.

“Dude don’t be a jackass, you of all people know that isn’t effin’ funny.” He shakes his head and turns to Goro, passing the other drink to Mishima finally. “Sorry dude, RenRen’s great but everything’s a joke to him. You prolly don’t even know what we’re talking about. What’s your name anyway?”

He grins at him again. Goro opens his mouth, then closes it, suddenly unsure of what to say. He must look like a damn goldfish. Sakamoto raises an eyebrow and mumbles an ‘ _is he okay’_ at meek g- _Mishima,_ who responds with a startled shrug.

“Sakamoto, it’s actually me.”

“What are you...” Sakamoto tilts his head, looking at him for a second, before his eyes go comically wide and his jaw drops. Now he’s the one looking like a fish. Ha. “Holy shit- For real?! Dude I couldn’t recognise you without the dorky grandpa sweater- Wait, ain’t you supposed to be dead?”

He visibly winces at his own wording but Goro just rolls his eyes.

“Yes, I would say that is an accurate assessment. However, fate had other ideas it seems. I assure you I had no say in the matter.”

“Jeez dude, you are just as much of a downer as I remember...” Sakamoto shakes his head, draping his spare arm over Mishima’s shoulder. Goro swears he catches Amamiya flinching slightly, but that makes no sense. Nothing even happened. Maybe he doesn’t like crowds much either?

“Anyway- Listen I’d totally love to have this talk with you and I’m glad you’re alive and all that, but we better go find somewhere to stand if we wanna get a good view. You two comin’?”

“They should be on stage in just under half an hour I think!” Mishima pulls out his phone and studies it for a few seconds. “Yeah, I was right, their twitter says they should be on at half past. So we should probably get going.”

Sakamoto offers him a half-hearted wave, before turning to make his way through the crowd. Mishima gives him a polite but uncomfortable smile and quickly follows behind. In all the times Goro had imagined his reunion with the Phantom Thieves, and he had imagined it _a lot_ , he had never thought it would be so anticlimactic. Maybe he was making himself out to be more important than he is but he’d always thought that in the best-case scenario of a reunion he would at least get screamed at. His worst-case scenarios involved the glint of Okumura’s Axe as it swings towards him, the click of handcuffs around his wrist as he’s led off to join his father, the cold feel of a gun against his forehead as Amamiya stares down at him blankly saying _“Sorry Detective, this is where your justice ends”-_

Hey, he never said his imagination was realistic, it just feeds him the scenarios he knows he deserves.

The point is, not once did he imagine it would be as simple as a quick round of surprise and an ‘I’m glad you’re alive’. Granted, he had yet to see the rest of the thieves, but Sakamoto had made no secret of his distaste towards Goro even when they’d shared a common goal. Even his kindest thoughts had him telling Goro he should never have come back from the dead, or something just as cuttingly true. He never imagined he would be so...relaxed about it.

And he especially never imagined that Amamiya would turn to him with a soft smile on his face and say:

“Hey, wanna come stand with us? It’ll be way more fun than on your own.”

He means to say: _“You’re as disgustingly sentimental as always. Stop chasing ghosts, we couldn’t even call ourselves friends when we knew each other. Stop acting like we could be now.”_

He wants to tell him: _“We can’t do this, if I make that step back into your life now, you’ll expect me to stay in it, and I don’t know if I can commit to that. Being in each other’s lives isn’t good for either one of us, it’s better if we just go back to living our own lives.”_

What he does is shrug, shove his hands in the pocket of his hoodie and mumble:

“Fine.”

***

They somehow end up at the front of the fucking crowd.

Goro is stuck sandwiched with Mishima on one side and Amamiya on the other. Sakamoto is stood to the side of Mishima; they’re chatting about something or other. He can barely hear his own thoughts amongst the crowd, never mind someone else’s conversation. He and Amamiya are stuck in what might be a comfortable silence if it were still 2016 and they still had to keep up the masquerade of friendship, but now it just feels a little awkward.

“So...”

Amamiya is the first to break the silence, which is good because this whole charade was his stupid idea in the first place. Sure, he agreed to it, but that doesn’t mean Goro should be the one to ease the tension between them. Although- he can't pretend he isn't thankful.

“I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t really think this would be your sorta thing? I’m pretty sure last time we talked about music you were waxing poetic about how good Chobin, or whatever his name is, is to study to.”

Never mind, he takes back the thanks, Amamiya should keep his mouth shut. Preferably forever. Goro scowls at him.

“Don’t presume you know everything about me Amamiya-kun. I’ve been listening to Purgatory Party since I was around fourteen. And anyway, _Chopin_ is good to study to. The fact I have an interest in other genres doesn’t change that.” Amamiya holds his hands up in front of him like a surrender, and Goro huffs. “In any case, I didn’t assume this sort of thing would suit you either.”

“Seriously, call me Ren. But you’re right, it doesn’t. Futaba gave me her ticket because she got too anxious at the last second. I promised her I’d record stuff for her so she wouldn’t miss out too bad. She gave me a list of songs she likes but I’m just gonna try and get the whole thing to be safe. They’re an alright band, but I’d much rather be at a Risette concert y’know?”

No he doesn’t know, he’s never purposefully listened to Risette in his life. Not that that’s what’s on the forefront of his mind right now, since apparently he narrowly avoided being in a room with _Sakura_. Suddenly Amamiya being here seems like a blessing rather than a curse; he doubts that a confrontation with the girl who’s mother he murdered would be so easy.

Amamiya must see the cogs in Goro’s brain turning because he laughs softly and rolls his eyes, patting Goro on the shoulder to pull him out of his thoughts. The friendly contact causes Goro’s skin to burn softly, and he has to fight back the urge to flinch at the foreign sensation. His stomach does a flip for reasons he can’t understand.

“Jeez Goro, I can practically hear your thoughts right now. You know Futaba doesn’t hate you right? She doesn’t forgive you or anything but she doesn’t hate you.” He pauses and scrunches his lips up. “...Actually, you should text her later.”

Goro immediately shakes his head. Is he insane?

“I’m not going to do that.”

“No seriously,” Amamiya lifts a hand up to fiddle with his bangs, “She’ll be happy you’re alive. She got a hold of some of her mom’s research and found some uh... stuff out.”

He laughs nervously, looking off to the side. It’s unsurprising that he’s uncomfortable with the topic; Goro certainly doesn’t want to talk about Ishikki either. He does have to wonder what she found though- no doubt there’s an extensive array of information about him in that research. He never read it, but he can imagine some of the things that might be in there. None of which he wants Sakura to know, though he supposes she has the right. Amamiya continues.

“She seemed really bummed out that she wouldn’t get to tell you. She’ll definitely want to talk to you about it now. It’s not really my business to say what it is, but like. Text her.”

When Goro doesn’t reply, Amamiya sighs softly and shoves his hands in his jacket pockets.

“...Just think about it okay? I’m not gonna make you or anything. I am going to tell everyone you’re alive, but it’s your business who you talk to.”

Goro grunts in reply. It’s fair he supposes; he’d prefer not to have to deal with any of the other thieves again but he can hardly expect Amamiya to lie to his friends. Sakamoto has a big mouth anyway; they’d find out in no time. None of them will want anything to do with him either way, it will be easy to shake them off and go back to his normal life.

After that, the awkward silence returns. Goro ends up staring kind of awkwardly at the stage, watching the stagehands moving things around. Standing there in silence makes him feel hyper aware of his own body, the sound of the crowd suddenly seeming much quieter than the silence between him and Amamiya. He can feel the bones in his fingers. He pulls absentmindedly at the end of his glove.

"I thought your glasses were fake?"

It's the first thing that comes to mind. Not his most tactful moment but hey, anything to fill the silence. Thankfully, Amamiya doesn’t seem to want the silence to continue either.

"They were. I actually need them now though. I didn't know you needed glasses either?"

"I used to wear contacts. My stylists said that glasses didn't flatter my face very well." 

Amamiya hums in response, and Goro can feel the conversation trailing off once again, so he says the next thing that comes to mind.

“We’ve talked about me a lot. How has life been treating you, Amamiya-kun?”

He doesn't care really, he just needs the conversation to continue.

“Actually, we’ve barely talked about you at all. But I’ll humour you.” He kicks the floor awkwardly, tilting his head up so he can look at the ceiling. “I mean there’s not much to say. I moved back to Tokyo last year; Lala-chan gave me my job at Crossroads back, and now I’m in college. Counselling, if you were wondering what I’m doing.”

He wasn’t, mostly. But he supposes it is at least a little intriguing to find out where Amamiya’s life is leading him. Getting a small glimpse into Amamiya’s mind is always an experience he’s grateful for even if he likes to think he isn’t as obsessive about him as he was in his teenage years.

“I see, taking a page out of Maruki’s book then? I suppose that makes sense, your saviour complex was almost as severe as his. Let’s hope you don’t end up as deluded as him as well.”

Amamiya barks out a laugh at the comment, despite it not really being funny at all.

“Don’t worry Goro, I’ll try not to take over any realities. And if I do, I trust you to come and slap some sense into me okay?”

“If you even try to mess with reality like Maruki did, then I assure you I’ll do much more than ‘slap some sense into you’.”

His words are harsh, but his lip twitches up into a slight smirk. Amamiya rolls his eyes and smirks right back at him.

“Good, I’d expect nothing less. What’s a rival for if not to keep me in check?”

They fall back into another silence, but it’s more comfortable this time. There’s only about ten minutes until the band are set to be on, so Goro focusses on finishing his drink off. It would be a waste of money if he let it get spilt all over him or someone else when the crowd inevitably started jumping around.

Just before their ten minutes are up, Amamiya turns to look at him again, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Hey- about what you said before...”

Goro looks at him blankly.

“I know I don’t know everything about you. I don’t really know much about you at all if I’m honest...” He trails off for a few seconds, looking down. “But I mean- I want to. I know you won’t say were friends but to me we are. And I’d like to get to know you for real this time. Without all the masks.”

Goro wants to bite back with a rude comment. Something that will firmly put Amamiya off, like he already should have been long ago. But instead he just stares at his feet and mumbles:

“You’re insane. I tried to kill you twice.”

He receives a humourless laugh in response.

“Yeah, I know. I was there. Well, for one of them at least. I think you made up for it at least a little bit by dying to save the world though.”

“-Except that I’m not dead. So, ergo, it meant nothing.”

Technically he isn’t sure about that. Sure, he woke up on February 4th, but he never recovered his memories after being shot in Shido’s palace. He barely has his memories from being in Shido’s palace at all: only snippets of things that felt like they happened to someone else, jumbled up all out of order thanks to his self-inflicted rampage. He knows the cognition shot him; he has a rather nasty scar to prove it. He thinks he might remember bleeding out, but he can’t trust his own memory of the event. He’s clearly here anyway. He must have survived by himself. The idea of the Universe resurrecting him again as some sort of cosmic joke has crossed his mind, but given how he was brought back the first time, the implications of that are something he would prefer not to think too deeply about. Especially considering the fact they’re in the middle of a crowd of people- this entire conversation, no, this entire situation is bizarre enough. It isn't the time to be getting existential.

Amamiya smiles slightly. It looks sort of sad.

“You thought you were going to die though, but you still did it. That means something. And before you say anything about doing it for selfish reasons that doesn’t matter to me, you still helped save the world. You at least get credit for that.” He pauses again, a strange expression spreading itself across his face.

“I uh. You’re gonna have something rude to say about this I know, but... I really missed-”

And Goro doesn’t get to hear the end of that sentence because the lights shut off, and his words are drowned out by the crowd’s screams.

***

Concerts, as it turns out, are a pretty fun experience. Now that he's gotten past the initial shock of how loud everything suddenly is, and the amount of sweaty people that have bumped into him already, and the fact that Mishima almost punched him in the face accidentally when his favourite song started playing, he finds there’s nothing quite like the feeling of the vibrations of the bass reaching his ribcage letting him literally feel the music as it’s happening.

The lead singer (Martin maybe? Malachi? Goro has never been one to care much about the names of celebrities) prances around the stage, screaming the almost unintelligible lyrics of one of their less popular songs. It's one of Goro's favourites- the lyrics are a scrambled mess (as is the case for most of the bands early songs) but he can feel the raw emotion that went into writing it; like it was penned from purely from anger and a need for catharsis, rather than any desire to make money from it. He likes music like that; songs that you can hear the passion in. It was a part of the reason he enjoyed spending time at Jazz Jin so much; the singer there always sounded like she had such love for her music, it was hard not to get lost in it.

The singer seems as to fit in about as well in this setting as he does- he's almost _overly_ soft looking, but he's doing as well as any other frontman and Goro guesses he would know better than anyone that appearances can be deceiving. He's not really looking at the singer anyway, he's looking right past him at the drummer who is drumming enthusiastically, occasionally screaming into the mic that is set up in front of his kit. Goro isn't the type to have favourite members of bands. He's barely even the type to have favourite bands _at all_ , but he is kind of fascinated by Purgatory Party's drummer. He’s a slender man with a mop of messy black hair, glasses, and though he is mostly quiet in interviews when he does speak, he seems to have a mischievous, almost cat-like (for lack of a better term) personality.

He is just Goro's type.

No this has absolutely nothing to do with Ren Amamiya- who for some reason is snaking his arm around Goro's waist and pulling him closer to him. Goro turns towards him to tell him to fuck off, but Amamiya points towards the space being cleared for a circle pit and he reluctantly allows himself to be pulled away. Mishima seems to try to shuffle along with them but ends up being pulled _towards_ the clearing by Sakamoto. Goro thinks he hears him yell something along the lines of _“Eff yeah! I'm gonna punch someone!”_ but it’s loud and he isn't particularly trying to listen out for the blonde.

Once they're a safe distance away from the pit, Amamiya pulls his phone out to keep filming the stage. He doesn't move his hand away from Goro’s waist. Goro stares at him for a minute, waiting for him to remember and sheepishly pull away, but he doesn’t. Goro doesn't know what comes over him; maybe he just feels awkward (or safe) being held close to Amamiya amongst the crowd, or maybe he just can't be bothered (or doesn't want) to tell him to move. Whatever weird lapse in judgement it is, he doesn't tell him to move. And if Goro leans into the touch slightly, which he doesn't, Amamiya doesn't call him out on it.

They stay like that for the rest of the concert.

***

They lose Mishima and Sakamoto somewhere in the crowd, so the two of them end up sat on a wall across the street after the concert ends. They’re loitering in a comfortable silence, Amamiya periodically checking his phone to see if either of his friends have figured out where they are yet. After a few minutes, his phone buzzes. 

“Ryuji said they couldn't find us so they're in the Big Bang Burger down the street. You coming?”

Goro shakes his head, standing up and checking the time on his phone casually. It's getting close to midnight.

“No, as much as I would love to parade around with you and your pair of idiots longer, I should really be heading back to my hotel.”

Amamiya nods and holds a finger up to tell him to wait as he quickly texts something, before he shoves his phone in his pocket and joins him standing up.

“Okay cool, let's go then.”

Goro raises an eyebrow, staring at him for a second before he elaborates.

“I'm walking you back to your hotel. I told those two to head home when they feel like it and I'll get a taxi back.”

“Oh, you don’t need to-" Goro starts, but Amamiya holds his hand up to get him to stop.

“Nah, no arguing. I wanna talk to you some more anyway. Lead the way, Detective.”

“I'm not a detective anymore. If I ever counted as one in the first place.”

He starts walking, not waiting to see if Amamiya actually follows him. He must do though, because he can still hear him talking.

“Eh, you did some detective-y things, you still count in my eyes. What do you do now then? You in college?”

“No, I didn't see any point really. I work in a book shop now, if you must know.”

“Oh, that suits you. Bet you end up telling customers all kinds of pretentious book facts huh?”

“I wouldn't call my book facts pretentious exactly...”

He absolutely would call his book facts pretentious. Amamiya laughs, and now that they’re outside, without all the chatter of the concert hall, Goro can't help but feel it is such a refreshing sound. It isn't that he's lonely per say- he has never needed friends, and he has co-workers that he speaks to in passing. Counting his therapist just seems sad to him, but hey Amamiya was chummy with his high school counsellor, so he can probably include her on his list of people he talks to. But, just like it used to when they were teenagers, talking to Amamiya just feels natural for some reason. They aren't friends; they can never be friends after what he has done, but Goro can't help but feel the urge to indulge in their old back-and-forth. He finds himself letting out a small laugh as well. He can feel Amamiya staring at him like he has an extra head, but he can't find it in himself to feel self-conscious. They stop at a crosswalk for a few seconds.

“Knowing you, they're definitely pretentious. I like your hair by the way. I forgot if I said before, but it suits you.”

“You didn't. Thank you. I suppose I needed the change, there is no need to keep up my old appearances after all.”

“Yeah I guess not. You missing all your adoring fans?”

He snorts and he can feel Amamiya staring at him again. He spots a hint of a smirk on his face out of the corner of his eye.

“Not at all, they were more of an annoyance than anything. Perhaps I miss the _paycheck_ , but that was hardly to do with my fame. If anything, it's quite refreshing that barely anyone recognises me now.”

Amamiya hums thoughtfully.

“Yeah, must feel like a real fresh start. I'm happy for you, Goro.”

“I suppose it is, in a way.” He glances over at Amamiya subtly. He's still staring. “You know, I said this before, but you are taking this situation remarkably well. I hadn't assumed you'd be so agreeable about my...continued existence let's say.”

He receives a shrug in response.

“Not everyone jumps straight to wanting people dead, Goro. I told you, I didn't really think you were gone. Or I did I guess- I just hoped you weren't.”

He laughs nervously, reaching up to mess with his fringe.

“Honestly I'm really angry with you. But I was getting the feeling you were already kind of overwhelmed so I was trying to get past it. I'm more just happy to see you than angry anyway.”

Goro nods. He supposes it’s fair that he would be angry, after everything that went down between them. He could deal with that, that's what he was expecting. He wasn't fool enough to think Amamiya would actually forgive him so easily, no matter what he said.

“Why on Earth would you worry about overwhelming me? Surely you should be more worried about yourself, I'm not the one reuniting with his own murderer.”

“Uh, I'm reuniting with my _friend._ Teammate, rival, whatever stops you running away.” He rolls his eyes. “You're the only one hung up on that, like I said I'm happy to see you.”

“You _just_ said you were angry with me Joker, don't coddle me. I can handle being blamed for my own actions.”

“Jesus Goro, I'm not angry about that. I'm angry because you let me think I killed you for _two years._ I get you wanted to live your own life, but you could have at least left me some sign that you were alive.”

He scowls. A younger Goro would have taken some pleasure in getting Amamiya's mask to crack, and seeing some of that latent anger he _knows_ is there seep out. Now he's just slightly taken aback at his own death seeming to affect Amamiya that much- or at all- even now. He stops in his tracks.

“I didn't think you would care all that much, if I’m quite honest. Any sensible person would be happy to have someone like me out of their life so permanently.” He turns to look at Amamiya, who has stopped next to him. He folds his arms and cocks his head to the side. “Either way, your guilt is misplaced. You didn't kill me; my death was no-one’s fault but my own. As much as I'd like to blame Shido, even he can’t be blamed for _my_ decisions.”

His sacrifice ultimately meant nothing when it was his own fault the thieves were in such danger, but he won’t have that decision taken from him. His choice to die was the first free choice he had made since joining Shido's ranks; even if it has now been undone, he won't have it blamed on anyone else.

“And before you bring up the second time- I didn't want to have you make that choice, but Maruki forced my hand. Even if I had died, you were hardly at fault for taking down your megalomaniac counsellor.”

Amamiya looks nothing short of exasperated. Goro doesn't understand. How could he possibly put any blame on himself? Amamiya has never been anything but kind to Goro, even when Goro couldn't find it in himself to feel anything but spite or jealousy towards him.

He has spoken to his therapist about Amamiya a lot. No details, obviously, but it's honestly quite embarrassing how often the topic circles back to the boy he ‘wished he could have met earlier'. The boy who maybe could have saved him, if they’d met before his view of the world was too twisted to ever truly be fixed. The boy he had said he hated, when really what he was feeling was something entirely different and unfamiliar. 

“You don't get it. I know it was Maruki's fault. And it wasn't your fault either really- I don't blame you for wanting to choose your own path no matter what. But I still had to make that decision! You can't honestly think that wouldn't weigh on me at all.”

Goro purses his lips. Amamiya is right, he doesn't get it.

“You're a fool. I was dead whether you agreed with Maruki or not. You made the correct decision; I am insulted you would doubt it. The Joker I knew as my rival wouldn't doubt his choices like that.”

Amamiya's expression gives him the impression that wasn't the right thing to say.

“Yeah, well I'm not Joker anymore. I’m just Ren. And you're not Crow. Or Black Mask, or the Detective Prince, or whatever. So stop talking like we still are.” 

Goro has to pause for a second to think about that statement. Realistically, he knows that Amamiya is right, there isn't a Metaverse anymore, there is no reason for Joker, or Crow, or Black Mask to exist anymore. But it isn't like it makes a difference. They're still the same people deep down. But the other man seems to think he has a point here. What is he trying to say? 

“...I know that.” Goro shakes his head, looking off to the side and glowering at something in the distance. Even if he doesn't understand yet, he can at the very least say that much. “For what it's worth I’m...sorry. I really did think it would be in your best interest that I didn't contact you.”

Amamiya- Joker- _Ren_ sighs.

“Well you're an idiot, and I don't forgive you. What's in my best interest isn’t your choice to make. But I appreciate the apology. Just don't be a stranger this time, okay? Or do, I guess. I'm not going to make you keep in touch. I'd just like you to.

Goro doesn't reply to that and Ren sighs again, deeper this time, before forcing a small smile.

“Are we just going to stand here then? You're the one leading me, remember.”

Needing no further prompting than that, Goro starts walking again. They walk in silence for a few minutes, before Ren coughs awkwardly, no doubt trying to fill the silence.

“So uh- You don't have to answer this but...how did you survive anyway? You kind of implied to Ryuji that it uh... wasn't on purpose.”

Goro rolls his eyes.

“Worried about me? Typical of you. Anyway, I am no closer to understanding that than you are. I simply woke up after we stole Maruki’s heart.”

“Yes, I'm worried about you, obviously. You basically told us you didn’t really want to be alive. And listen, I just found out you're alive after literal years of thinking you were dead, I don't want to get a call saying you're gone for real this time.”

He kicks the floor awkwardly as he walks. A cruel part of Goro's brain wants to remind Ren that no-one would think to call him if Goro did die. It's not like anyone Goro knows would be able to connect the two of them. He would probably go the rest of his life none the wiser.

“Uh...I guess what I'm saying is if you need someone to talk to-"

He is cut off by Goro's impulsive laughter.

“Sorry, this is ridiculous. Ama- Ren, I'm okay. I already have a therapist; I don’t need you trying to be one too.”

Ren had looked slightly offended when he had laughed, but his expression softens into a sheepish, yet genuine, smile and he scratches the back of his head.

“Oh- Oh good. I'm gonna be honest I thought you'd be a ‘therapy is for weaklings’ type, but I’m really glad you're getting help. Really glad actually- Is it weird if I say I’m proud of you?”

“It is a little weird, but I assume your intention was not to be patronising.”

Ren shakes his head quickly, but Goro waves his hand dismissively.

“I suppose I was one of those types. Or rather I understand why I would come across that way- I didn't really have any intention of living past completing my revenge, so I never really considered the idea. Since the situation has clearly changed, I thought I should...put some effort into being a better person.”

“That's great. I'm really happy for you.”

“Thank you. I won’t claim to be...happy yet. But I am better than I was, I can assure you of that at least.”

They are getting close to his hotel now. When he first bumped into Ren earlier in the evening, he probably would have been glad to be rid of him. Now he finds himself feeling a little disappointed that they are going to be parting ways again.

“So... you really don’t know how you survived then?”

Goro shakes his head.

“I know I was shot. There's a gap in my memory after that up until new year’s. I have no idea what happened in that time. If I'm honest, I'm almost entirely sure I did not survive. Though I have no explanation for how I'm here, if that is the case.”

“Maybe you're like Morgana?”

Goro stares at him and blinks, waiting for elaboration.

“Like, Morgana disappeared again after we beat Maruki too. But because we all kept believing in him and wanted him back that like, brought him back I guess.”

Goro gives him a funny look.

“I sincerely doubt that.”

Ren just shrugs and leaves it at that.

They finally come to a stop at the building Goro is staying at, hovering awkwardly outside the door. Ren pulls out his phone.

“Oh, we're here. I'll, uh, get a taxi then. You can head in.”

Goro shakes his head, staying put.

“I'll wait with you. I'm sure your friends would have my head if I didn't make sure you got home safe.”

Ren laughs slightly.

“Yeah, can’t have Morgana showing up at your door tomorrow. His little claws are sharp.”

He types something into his phone then nods.

“Okay, should only be about five minutes. Sorry to keep you out in the cold.”

It has gotten a little chilly, but it is past midnight so that isn't really surprising. Goro is suddenly struck by the realisation that this means he essentially has five minutes left to decide what to do next. He hadn't realised how much he had missed talking to Ren in the two years they had been apart, and he has to admit it has been nice to see him again. But seeing him for one night and having a good time, despite the awkwardness, is very different from actually attempting to be a part of his life again. Does he really want to take that leap? Goro would never claim to be a good person; even with his new normal life and therapy going well he knows he will never truly make up for what he has done. Ren said he wanted to keep in touch, but he can't know what he is getting into really. They have too much history, they won’t ever be able to look past what happened when they were Joker and Crow.

But they aren't Joker and Crow anymore are they?

Goro looks over at Ren, who is staring intently at his phone, probably watching the little car on his screen get closer and closer to his location. His nose is scrunched and slightly red from the cold. A piece of hair has fallen even more out of place, almost fully covering one of his eyes. He seems to notice Goro staring at him, and glances over to look him in the eye, raising an eyebrow. The stormy grey of his eyes seems much more striking than Goro remembers.

Maybe Joker and Crow could never be friends.

But maybe there is a chance that Ren and Goro can be.

“Ren.”

His voice seems overly loud in the quiet of the night. Ren looks up from his phone properly, giving Goro his full attention. Goro's mind threatens to blank entirely, but he is determined to take this step forward.

“I was just thinking... Perhaps we should exchange numbers? I uh- You said you wanted to get to know each other properly this time- I think I would...like that.”

Ren's face lights up as soon as he says it.

“Yes! Yes. I mean. I would like that too. Here-"

He quickly pulls up his phone number. Goro enters it into his phone then sends him a quick “Hello.” text so he has his number as well.

“Cool, cool- Thanks. I was wondering if I was going to have to get Futaba to find your phone number for me. Speaking of uh- if you don’t want me to give any of the other's your number I won’t, so don’t worry. You can just uh- let me know if you do end up wanting to talk to her-"

“You can give it to her.” He says, cutting Ren's ramble off abruptly.

“I mean, if Sakura... or any of the others I suppose, for some reason wanted to contact me, I would be...amenable to that.”

Ren nods enthusiastically, laughing under his breath.

“God, the way you talk is so weird, I missed that. I'll talk to them.”

As if on cue, Ren's taxi pulls up in front of them just as he finishes talking. He gives Goro a short wave and a smile as he climbs into the backseat.

“I'll text you later, okay? Thanks for...this.”

Goro nods and waves back. He watches the car drive away for a few seconds, before finally heading back to the comfort of his hotel room.

***

Despite the late hour, Goro refuses to retire for the night without taking a shower. He had had a good night, yes, but it was warm and he's sweaty and slightly covered in beer. It isn't the most pleasant feeling. Now that he is alone, he can hear the ringing in his ears much more clearly. It should be an annoyance but honestly, it feels more like a memento of his first concert experience.

He makes it a quick shower, just in case anyone in the next room over can hear him. Once he is done, he puts on his sleep-hoodie, and some faded Featherman pyjama bottoms, before flopping onto his bed and picking up his phone to mindlessly mess with until he feels ready to sleep. The adrenaline from tonight's events haven't quite worn off yet- he isn't tired at all.

He apparently missed several messages in the half an hour it took him to grab a shower and get changed.

The first he expected: it's from Ren. His phone is still vibrating with new messages as he attempts to respond.

**_Ren Amamiya_ ** _changed their nickname to:_ **_Catboy King._ **

**_Catboy King_ ** _changed your nickname to:_ **_Gowo OwO_ **

**Catboy King:** ok now that thats dealt with serious time

 **Catboy King:** really thanks for not just running away tonight i meant to say it before i left but i really missed you a lot

 **Catboy King:** cant wait to show you how much better at billiards i am now im gonna destroy you just you wait

 **Catboy King:** oh also i got home safe just in case you were worried 👉👈

I sincerely doubt you will ‘destroy me’. I have also improved since our last match.

Would you perhaps know anything about why my phone is going off every few seconds?

 **Catboy King:** oh youre here!!

 **Catboy King:** oh yeah lol whoops my bad

 **Catboy King:** good luck with the others ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

  
Okay, when he said Ren could give the other thieves his contact information, he definitely had not anticipated an immediate barrage of messages from _every single member of the Phantom Thieves_ bar the damn cat. Seeing more messages on his phone than he has ever had in his whole life fills him with- some sort of emotion. It might even be positive. He can't quite tell. 

**LesbiAnn:** oh my god i thought ryuji was joking when he texted me!!!

 **LesbiAnn:** i cant believe you were alive all this time you have some serious explaining to do mister

 **LesbiAnn:** maybe over crepes when youre free????

 **LesbiAnn:** wait the sweets thing was fake wasnt it : (

 **LesbiAnn:** well i still want crepes! it can be my treat

 **LesbiAnn:** and im bringing shiho!!! she sort of remembers who you are?? youll get along i think!!

 **LesbiAnn:** but if youre mean to her youre paying for yourself!!!!

Crepes sound lovely Takamaki-san.

 **LesbiAnn:** oh my god you replied!!!

 **LesbiAnn:** we can work something out in the morning i think you probably have a lot of people to deal with right now

 **LesbiAnn:** im so glad you're okay! 💖

 **LesbiAnn:** oh and call me ann!!

***

**BONKIN’:** hey man renren gave me ur number

 **BONKIN':** this dont mean were friends or nothin but im glad youre alive i guess

 **BONKIN':** anyway renrens gonna wanna hang with u a bunch and i dont want shit to be weird so idk if u wanna go running sometime lmk

 **BONKIN':** btw mishimas mad he didnt get an autograph dont think he realises ur not famous anymore lmao

Please tell him I’d be happy to write one for him then next time I see him.

***

**Lobster Boy:** I must thank you Akechi, you have provided me with a great well of artistic inspiration. I am sure the painting I will produce will be absolutely breath-taking.

?

I have no idea what you're talking about, Kitagawa-kun.

 **Lobster Boy:** The image Ren sent from his journey home...the expression on his face. It was truly a thing of beauty. To think you of all people would be able to make him express such spectacular emotion. I must begin working at once.

Oh. Well, you're welcome.

I think.

***

**Killer Queen:** I am FURIOUS with you.

 **Killer Queen:** Do you understand what your actions did to Ren, Akechi-kun?

 **Killer Queen:** If you ever hurt him like that again, I swear I will kill you myself.

Ren and I have spoken a little. I imagine we will talk more on the subject when we next see each other.

For what little it is worth, it was not my intention to hurt him. I do apologize.

 **Killer Queen:** You are right. It does mean nothing.

 **Killer Queen:** I will give you a few days to adjust, but after that you WILL call my sister and explain yourself.

I understand. I suppose I owe Sae-san an explanation.

 **Killer Queen:** Good, we are on the same page then.

 **Killer Queen:** Now stop messaging me and go and talk to Futaba.

***

**Flower Child UwU:** I am pleased to see you are alive Akechi-kun!

 **Flower Child UwU:** I stand by what I said last time we spoke- I do not forgive you. I doubt I ever will.

 **Flower Child UwU:** But I don't want things to be awkward with Ren! He cares about you a lot!

 **Flower Child UwU:** So, while we cannot be friends, I would appreciate it if we could at least be civil with each other!

Of course, Okumura-san. I appreciate it.

I also care about Ren a great deal, for the record. I apologise that it took this long to realise how much of a coward I was for hiding away.

 **Flower Child UwU:** Well, it's never too late to make amends! As long as you do not hurt him again, then I look forward to being civil with you Akechi-kun! 😊

***

**Ultra Violet** : Akechi-senpai!!! I’m so happy to hear you’re okay!!!

 **Ultra Violet:** I was so upset when Senpai told you were gone... It's such a relief that you're alright after all!

Congratulations on getting second place last month, Yoshizawa-san. I happened to read about that particular competition.

I hear your routine was very impressive.

 **Ultra Violet:** Thank you!! I hope to do even better next time!!

 **Ultra Violet:** You should come and watch my next competition, I'll send you the details when I have them!

I would be honoured, Yoshizawa-san.

 **Ultra Violet:** Yay thank you!! I know I'll be able to win this time with you supporting me Akechi-senpai!

***

That leaves just one more set of messages to read. He can't lie, he's nervous. It wasn't exactly easy texting Okumura, but for as much as he had ruined her life he had ruined Sakura's life ten times over. And now she wants to talk to him? He isn't sure he's even capable of being ready for whatever it is she has to say. 

Despite his reservations, he opens the messages.

**Nya-cronomicon:** knew you were lying about pp u clown 🤡🤡🤡

 **Nya-cronomicon:** mwehehehehe

 **Nya-cronomicon:** oh reading everyones messages before mine i see how it is!!!

 **Nya-cronomicon:** im reading all of these btw

 **Nya-cronomicon:** you still text like an old man

 **Nya-cronomicon:** or a serial killer (lol)

 **Nya-cronomicon:** GOD how long are you going to keep me waiting???

 **Nya-cronomicon:** gonna mock you for being an edgelord until you reply to me mwehehehe

Ren said you wanted to talk to me?

 **Nya-cronomicon:** ohoho that summoned you I see!

 **Nya-cronomicon:** maybe if i told everyone you like cringey punk music youd have come back from the dead sooner lmao

Need I remind you that you are also a fan of the ‘cringey punk music' you speak of?

 **Nya-cronomicon:** yeah what about it lmao

 **Nya-cronomicon:** Anyway ill get to the point

 **Nya-cronomicon:** got a question for u edgelord

Ask away I suppose.

...

Hello?

Sakura-chan?

 **Nya-cronomicon:** oh my god chill out!!! i'm getting my thoughts together dont be such an impatient little bitch

 **Nya-cronomicon:** also do NOT call me that i think i just threw up in my mouth its futaba or nothin bub

Um. Sorry?

 **Nya-cromomicon:** yeah do be

 **Nya-cronomicon:** ANYWAY

 **Nya-cronomicon:** the thing is

 **Nya-cronomicon:**...

 **Nya-cronomicon:** so what would you do if hypothetically

 **Nya-cronomicon:** you knew someone who you did some bad shit to

 **Nya-cronomicon:** HYPOTHETICALLY

 **Nya-cronomicon:** and you and her didnt really get along but you had to put up with eachother to say

 **Nya-cronomicon:** hypothetically take down a hypothetically therapist gone godmode

 **Nya-cronomicon:** and also because you have a mutual friend with REALLY bad taste in men

Where are you going with this?

 **Nya-cronomicon:** hush up and listen birdbrain!!! (ノ°益°)ノ

 **Nya-cronomicon:** this is really hard okay!!

I understand. You can take your time.

 **Nya-cronomicon:** no no i got this i just need to SAY IT god

 **Nya-cronomicon:** anyway what if this person you hypothetically know

 **Nya-cronomicon:** did some research

 **Nya-cronomicon:** maybe she looked into some things she shouldnt have

 **Nya-cronomicon:** about stuff people definitely didnt want her knowing

 **Nya-cronomicon:** and it turned out that probably

 **Nya-cronomicon:** really probably

 **Nya-cronomicon:** extremely probably

 **Nya-cronomicon:** like 98-99% chance

 **Nya-cronomicon:**...

...Futaba-chan?

**Nya-cronomicon:** that she's your sister?

Well.

Shit.


End file.
